Roman Catholic Lutheran Dialogue

2017 was the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. Among the events commemorating the Reformation were joint services of Lutherans, Catholics, and other Christians in Wellington, Hamilton, Palmerston North, and Auckland with the theme From Conflict to Communion. At the joint service in the Sacred Heart Basilica in Wellington on 4 June 2017, the Roman Catholic Lutheran Dialogue in New Zealand Commission was launched.

The Commission will undertake study and stimulate action among the two churches that contributes to the fulfilment of the five commitments made at the Ecumenical Worship Commemorating the Reformation:

Catholics and Lutherans should always begin from the perspective of unity and not from the point of view of division in order to strengthen what is held in common even though the differences are more easily seen and experienced.

Lutherans and Catholics must let themselves continuously be transformed by the encounter with the other and by the mutual witness of faith

Catholics and Lutherans should again commit themselves to seek visible unity, to elaborate together what this means in concrete steps, and to strive repeatedly toward this goal

Lutherans and Catholics should jointly rediscover the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ for our time

Catholics and Lutherans should witness together to the mercy of God in proclamation and service to the world.

The Commission is currently studying Baptism as a sacrament that unites Christians in the grace of God.